Apparatus for the fractionation of petroleum



Nov. 17, 1925. 1,562,009

H. P. STRAUS APPARATUS FOR THE FRACTIONAT ION OF PETROLEUM Filed June 19,}.920

Inventor: HENRY R smAus Atty Patented Nov. 13, lfizli.

onirso 's'rares sarssrossice.

HENRY Jr. senses, on NEW soon, Di. Y.

APPARATUS res THE snac'rronarion on ss rnonnniar.....

Application filed Jane is, 19:20. Serial no seems.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l. ll'nnnr P. S'ricxi'i 's. a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city. in the county of New Yorh and State of New York. have invented certain new and useful lmnrovenients in Anparatns for the Fractiomlion of Petroleum.

intermediatie chambers.

of which the following is a specification.

Crude petroleum is a mixture of alarge number of compounds whose boiling points cover a Wide range of temperature. The refiners ofpetroleum for ,Q asolene. naptha. and lmroing oils, endeavor to make cuts or fractions of the distillal'es from the still which will give products ithin special ranges of boiling: points in order to obtain the largest yields of theselicht oils. v

lily the process of rcclistillation and by the use of dephlcgmators and fractionating: columns. refiners areable to obtain larger yields of light oils than could be obtained by a straight distillation from the crude petroleum itself.

The object of my invention is-to subject the vapors from the distillation oi" crude petroleum or crude petroleum distlllatesftoa series of continuous conclcnsations distillations Without increasing "ill shove the costs of a straight distillation of the crude petroleum or crude petroleum distillate itscll; This ohiect l' attain by the conservation of heat energy Within an insulated multiple chamber rcdistillation and reflux column. whereby l. increase the yield of light oils and in'mrove the quality of those products.

lo the accompanying: drawing;- l have shown, in vertical section. a Suitable form the side (l ahont half Wav the height (5 (5. etc.) are (6) is the top or highest chamber of the column (ll. (Y 'Y.

etc.) are perforated metal plates'ancl. act

of the chamber (4%).

above the plates.

as PZLELMLOHS bet-Ween adjacent chambers.

('8. 8. 8, etc.) condensing: masses of stone or metal balls or coarse material. which rest uponilie perforated plates to a depth of about. onc third the height of tliel cliambers. (9. 9. 9. etc.) are reflmztuhes designed to carry excess liquid from anvchamher to the adjacent chamber. immediately" below. The reliux' tubes have bonds or trans which allow the flow of liquidthrough them only from. an npper'to-a lower angels. chamber and prevent thep'assage o1": minor-through them from a lmver toannpber chamber. With the. exception 0 the ellnxtube. (9). the reflux tubes ha located. lnanched lower ends or sni .ers. which hterifninate in the masses (8. 8", Rhetc.) instabo've the plates (7. 7, 7, etc.)." Therefiux tube (9) passes from the chamber 5} to the chamber (4) and has no branched loiver end. but the encl extends below the level of the entrance oint of the vapor line (2) inthe side of vl chamber (4). The part of. thereflux tube (9) below the plate (7) is insulatedirom the heat of the vapors tr'omlhe vapor line (2) from the still (3). Thorefiux tubes (9*, 9, 9), etc.) start from a point about an inch above the masses (8.8.- 8l ..etc.) on'the plates ('7, '7", 7*. etc). The lower branched ends of the reflux tubes host .ahont'an inch lt i optional for, these reflux: tubes to pass ciitlierv internally or ext nal-ly from one chamber to another ad jarent lower chamber.

In the side of the chamber l; a pocket l0 is..iorznc d helowtheentrance oi the'vapon line (2}; .At the bottom ofthe pi'icket (10) is a draw oil (11). From chamber a line 12) leads to the condenser (not shown). Similarly from each of the other chambers a vapor line (12 -12 to the condenser can he opel'ated or. cut out by means of suitably placed valves 13 and the ydistillate from any chamber taken on at will. i

In the'operation of the apparatus above described. the vapors from the oil charged in the still (3) pass through the vapor line (2) lroni the still (3) into the chamber (4) ct thecolnmn (1) and thence through the pers'orations of the plate (7) into the mass {5%) in chamber (5) Wherethcvapor is concle'nse'd into liquiclhy the mass (Ell-anal will continue to condense nntil the mass {8) and the liquid in the interstices of the nhass become sufliciently heated to allow the loa est boiling constituent compounds of the condensed liquid to redistill and the vapors of redistillation will .pass. thrpugh. thev perv forations of the plate (7) into the' mass (8) in thechamber, (5). The vapor pres sufficient-t0 prevent the condensed liquid field in the masses above the plates from lation of condensation will flow through the;

reflux tubes and pass into the lower chambers. The vapor pressures of distillation are nearly equal in any two adjacent cha nbers and the height of the column of liquid in the reflux tubes is sutlicient to prevent any accumulation of condensation above the level'of' the upper ends of the refluxrtubes in sufficient quantity to flood the upper chambers from the lower chambers.

The process of condensation and redistillation of the vapors in chamber (5) is repeated in chambers (5, 5", etc.) and finally in chamber (6) or top chamber of the 051- umn (1) whence the vapors pass into-the line-( 12) leading to a condenser.

The liquid returned from an upper chamber to a lower chamber always contains some light ends, and these light ends are evenly distributed in the masses on the plates by the perforated'branches at the lower end pf the r'eflux tubes, and revaporize and pass again into-the upper'chambers.

The redistillations which take .pl ace in, the chambers are the result of the exchange of heat from the condensation of the higher boiling constituent compounds of the vapors and the subsequent redistillation of the "lower boiling constituentcompounds of the liquid in the masses on the plates of the chambers. The masses on the plates have a high specific heat and accumulate a large amount of heat energy which acts as a bal ance for each chamber and keeps distillation conditions uniform.

' The liquid returning from chamber (5) to chamber (4,) is trapped in the pocket (10) until the level,of the point Where the vapor-line (2) into the side of chamber (4) is reached when further flow of liquid from the upper chambers causes a return flow through the vapor line (2) into the still (3).

Any water which may be condensed in the column in the beginning of the distillat tion is caught in the pocket (10) and drawn oil at the drip (11).

After the lighter fractions of the oil have distilled off and the column as a Whole is hot enough, steam may be used to bring off the higher boiling compounds from the still. The height. of the chambers may be about two feet each and the width will vary with the size of the still. For a still of 1000 bbls. capacity, a column from sixteen to twenty feet in height and five feet in diameter is sufficient. sure of distillation ..and redistillation is- -I claim 1. In a fractionating apparatus, a closed chamber, a plurality of spaced, perforated plates therein dividing said chamber into a plurality of compartments, a layer of contact material on each of said plates and means for maintaining condensate at a substantial, predetermined height above said plates.

2. In a fractionating.apparatus, a closed chamber, a plurality of spaced, perforated plates therein dividing said chamber into a plurality of compartments, a layer of contact material on each of said plates and an eduction pipe terminating at approximately the height of said material and arranged to conduct liquid to a lower compartment.

3. In a fractionatin apparatus, a closed heat insulated chain er, a plurality of spaced, perforated plates therein dividing said chamber into a plurality of compartments, a layer of contact material on each of said plates and means formaintaining' 5. In a fractionating apparatuaa closed chamber, a plurality, of spaced, erforated plates therein dividing said'eham er into a plurality of compartments, a layer of contact material on each of said plates and means for maintaining condensate. at a substantial, predetermined height. above said plates, and vapor ofltakes in eachv of said compartments and means for conducting "from said apparatus.

6. In. a fractionating apparatus, a closed chamber, a plurality of spaced, perforated plates therein dividing said chamber into a plurality of compartments, 9. layer of contact material on each of said plates and means for maintaining condensate at a sub stantial, predetermined height above said plates, including means for conducting the excess therefrom to the adjacent lower compertinent.

7. In a fractionating apparatus, a closed chamber, a plurality of spaced, perforated plates therein dividing said chamber into a plurality of compartments, layer on? can tactv material on each of said platea'etlrl means for maintaining ccndensate at 2311 time two stantial, predetermined height above said plates, including means forconducting the excess therefrom to the adjacent lower compartment and to distribute it uniformly throughout the contact material therein.

8. In a fractionating apparatus, a closed chamber, a plurality of spaced, erforated plates therein dividing said cham )Ol into a plurality of compartments,

tact material on each of said plates and an v eduction pipe terminating at approximately stantial,

chamber,

the height of said material and arranged to conduct liquid to a lower com artment andsaid pipe having a vapor seal t erein.

9. In a fractionating apparatus, a closed a plurality of spaced, plates therein dividing said cham er into a plurality of compartments, a layer of contact "materialon each of said plates and means for maintaining condensate at a subpredetermined height above said plates, including means for conducting the excess therefrom to the adjacent lower compartment, and a li uid draw off from the compartment define and the bottom of the chamber.

10. In a fractionating apparatus, a closed chamber, a pluralit of spaced, perforated plates therem divi ing said chamber into erforated.

a layer of con-' by the lowermost plate a vplurality of compartments, a layer of contact material on each' of said" plates and means for maintaining condensate at a substantial, predetermined height above said plates, including means for conducting the excess therefrom to the adjacent lower compartment, said apparatus having the vapor intake in the compartment defined'by the lowermost plate an the bot-tom of the chainber, said intake being above the end of said means conducting the excess condensate from the compartment, immediately above it. I

11. In a fractionating apparatus, a closed heat insulated chamber, a plurality of spaced, perforated plates therein dividing said chamber into a plurality of compartments, a layerof'contact material on each of said plates and means for maintaining condensate at a substantial, predetermined height above said plates,-including means for conducting the excess therefrom to the ad'acent lower compartment and to distri uteit unlformly throughout the contact material therein.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

HENRY P.- STRAUS. 

